13 Replies to “The Children Are Our Future”

  1. If you mess with a kid’s body and cause irreparable harm,
    they put you in prison and throw away the key.
    If you mess with a kid’s mind and cause irreparable harm,
    they put you in a cushy government job.

  3. This portion of the quoted statement makes me think they’re shining her on and “Know What’s Best”. “because the teacher knows how students best learn and ensure that the individual child’s needs are being met.”
    I don’t trust’em!!

  4. It’s not only the math. It’s reading, writing, spelling and there seems to be a real war on critical thinking. The dumbing down seems intentional and core programs have taken a back seat to social activism. Really noticeable when you talk to kids about (non) global warming or gay/lesbian issues, seks, religion,bullying (all gay) or almost any subject endeared by the radical left. The system has failed and the next generation is paying the price. These kids are not dumb, but neither they or their parents understand that they are tools used to push agendas that have nothing to do with education. Nothing will change until tenure and the unions are both eliminated and that’s not on the radar. Get the foxes out of the hen house. There are probably a lot of teachers that feel as I do but have to toe the line or look for another job. There are also far too many that can’t see where they are doing anything wrong because the came out of the same system.
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/whos-failing-math-the-system/article14112165/

  5. The condescension oozing from Christine Henzel was palpable. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for her to take any criticism into account.

  6. pj wrote:
    “It’s not only the math. It’s reading, writing, spelling and there seems to be a real war on critical thinking. The dumbing down seems intentional and core programs have taken a back seat to social activism.”
    One wonders what sort of sociopaths would do such a thing to children?
    If educators and their entire supporting cast were injecting, say polio, into children to cripple their legs, there would be an uproar and prison sentences.
    But if you cripple their minds, you get $100K a year and a VERY nice pension.

  8. We continue to allow these educators to mess with these children’s future.
    We need to push for a system where the money follows the child and an old style curriculum is the stable influence in the classroom.
    Public education is child abuse.

  9. I really wish these parents the best of luck. While I’m generally optimistic about trends in society , I’m pessimistic and cynical about anything owned and operated by government and, unfortunately, I don’t think we have reached peak government yet. Education is becoming more centralized, less realistic about how children learn and, worse IMO, becoming petty tyrannies. The last bit is about policies in the UK where parents are fined and being dragged through the legal/bureacratuc system for taking their own children out of school without “permission”. The education system isn’t that bad yet but enough so that I doubt they’ll seriously consider any parent’s opinion.
    Yes, the curriculum is filled with all kinds of nonsense, fluff and political messages. When the kids come home and we go over their day I then take the opportunity to give them my opinion which generally boils down to much of what they’re learning is garbage and why. I’m pretty sure they agree but children being children still have a need to fit in and not make waves. So when they want me to help with a report about environmentalism and they choose the PC path, that’s fine. It’s where being a libertarian is difficult since I won’t force them to think or act in a way that pleases me. I am confident though that someday they will have actual critical thinking skills and not feel the need to blindly conform. They need to be exposed to many opinions and then as adults make up their own mind.
    Personally I think the coming financial pain created by progressive policies will dramatically change young people’s opinion of government and its proper role.

  10. Teacher’s unions across this country have far too much power, more than both parents and elected officials in many cases. Modifying curriculum such as this is the most insidious method the “left” uses to manipulate the young into a certain mindset.
    The basics of math are simple and require little more than repetition. I hand wrote and laminated multiplication tables for both my daughters and we practiced them for “fun” to help with the memorization. Also, I made sure they were able to move easily between thinking in terms of fractions and percentages. Without these basics, kids will be hopeless at grasping the more advanced math subjects in later years.
    Entering the business world with the ability to do mental math quickly and accurately is a huge advantage. Since most teachers have zero experience in the competitive world of business, I guess it is no surprise that they are clueless to the importance of these tools.
    Good to see some parents getting off their asses and addressing this problem. I wish them the best in their attempt to wrestle back some control from self-interested teachers and their too-powerful unions.

  11. The biggest problem is the teachers. Some are great and are able to handle rote and comprehension. Many elementary school teachers personally struggle with math so a comprehension based curriculum is a lifetime disaster for the students.

  12. From an Ohio-based 3rd grade government study guide:
    Heather Callaghan brings us a great example of how the education system portrays “good citizens” as being unquestioning obedient taxpayers:
    WHAT MAKES A GOOD CITIZEN
    1)Citizens don’t liter (sic) to keep the environment clean
    2)Citizens helps schools
    3)Citizens fix homes
    4)Citizens vote on leaders
    5)Citizens pay taxes to the government
    6)Does not argue
    Say no more
    Link here:
    http://www.blacklistednews.com/3rd_Grade_Government_Homework%3A_%27Good_Citizens_Do_Not_Argue%27/32405/0/38/38/Y/M.html
    A Jimmy Hatlo tip of the hat to Cap’n Capitalism

  13. The problem is the ridiculous curriculum. My sixth grader has been in this since kindergarten. I teach him at home after school and got him a tutor for reading. Some teachers are lazy. Some are fantastic. I found the truth out about this curriculum from one of my son’s teachers. She gave me ideas and told me what he needed as a foundation that she herself was not allowed to teach. In fact she was reprimanded for getting the kids to memorize the multiplication table in grade 4.
    I have written my letter. We are seriously thinking of internet school or private. What a blasted disgrace. My bucket of wrath floweth over!

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